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	    <h2>Page 4</h2>
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		<p class="italic capitalize">The word Shakti means divine energy/force/power, and Durga is the warrior aspect of the Divine Mother/Brahman (Supreme Absolute Godhead).
           Durga's feminine power contains the combined energies of all the gods. Each of her weapons was given to her by a different god: Rudra's 
		   trishula (trident), Vishnu's Sudarshana Chakra (whirling, sharp edged discus), Indra's thunderbolt, Brahma's kamandalu (water pot), Kubera's
		   gadā (mace), etc.
           In Jain Texts, she is referred to as Durga or Kushmaandi devi and is the yakshini of 22nd tirthankar of Lord Neminath or Arishtanemi.
           According to a narrative in the Devi Mahatmya story of the Markandeya Purana text, Durga was created as a warrior goddess to fight an asura 
		   (an inhuman force/demon) named Mahishasura. Brahma, the Supreme Creator had given Mahishāsura (an ambitious demon who had observed penance)the
		   power not to be defeated by a male or any God. Mahishasura, thus misleading his powers, unleashed a reign of terror on earth, heaven and the nether
		   worlds. He created cosmic disruption and defeated The Gods of Sun, Fire, Earth, Thunder and all other Nature Gods. The Gods were helpless and went
		   to Brahma, the Creator for help and, with Brahma, then made their way to Vaikuntha—the place where Sri Bhagwaan Vishnu, the cosmic "Man" lay on 
		   Ananta Naag. They found Vishnu and Shiva, the Supreme destroyer and re-creator, discussing the reign of terror of Mahishāsur. Shiva, made a request
		   to all Gods to combine their Divine Energies together.Thus, to save the 3 worlds, Vishnu, Shiva, Brahma and all of the Gods (Indra, Varuna, Surya,
		   Agni, Yama, Vishwakarma etc.) emitted beams of fierce Divine Energy from their Bodies. The blinding sea of light spread in all directions of the 
		   universe like a supernova and reached the Ashram of the priest Kātyāyan, where all the Energies combined together to create the omnipotent Goddess
		   Durga. The Goddess Durga took the name Kaatyaayani from the priest, in whose ashram she appeared thus. She introduced herself in the language of 
		   the Rig-Veda, saying She was the Female aspect(swarup) that the Supreme Brahman (God) had assumed to create all the Gods and the universe. Now she
		   had come from their combined energy to fight the demon to save the gods. They did not create her; it was her lila that she emerged thus. The gods 
		   were blessed with her compassion.
           To combat the evil Mahishasura, she had appeared in a gigantic blinding light that pervaded the skies and covered all the worlds. When Mahishasura 
		   challenged Her, Durga, the supreme cosmic energy, roared with laughter, which caused an earthquake which made Mahishasura aware of her powers. 
		   The goons and accomplices of Mahishasura attacked Her from all directions, hurling weapons at Her. However, the all-powerful Goddess, armed with 
		   lethal weapons of death, proved to be too powerful and severed their weapons along with their heads with Her lethal cosmic weapons. The Goddess 
		   thus 'cut' Her way through the army, stunning them with Her fierce light, hurling weapons on the demons, thus severing their bodies. She breathed
		   an army of Divine warriors, who severed the heads of the demons and danced in fury.
           Despite that, the terrible Mahishasura rampaged against the Goddess, changing forms many times. At first, he was a buffalo demon, and She defeated
		   him with Her sword. Then he changed forms and became an elephant that tied up the Goddess's vehicle, the mighty and gigantic lion, and began to pull
		   it towards him. The Goddess cut off his trunk with her sword. The demon Mahishasur continued his terrorizing, taking the form of a lion, and then 
		   the form of a man, but both of them were gracefully slain by Durga. Then Mahishasur began attacking once more, starting to take the form of a 
		   buffalo again. The Omnipotent Goddess became very angry, and proclaimed to Mahishasur in a colorful tone—"Roar with delight while you still can, 
		   O illiterate demon, because when I will kill you, the Gods themselves will roar with delight."[Devi-Mahatmya] When Mahishasur had half-emerged into
		   his buffalo form, he was paralyzed by the extreme light emitted from the Goddess's body. The Goddess overpowered him with Her mighty trident and 
		   then resounded with laughter before cutting Mahishasur's head down with her sword. Durga slew Mahishasur and his accomplices, but actually freed 
		   them of their karmic debts and cleansed them of their sins, so that their souls could attain peace- that is the power of Goddess Durga. Hence, Mata
		   Durga is also known as Mahishasurmardini—the slayer of Mahishasur.
           The goddess, as Mahishasuramardini, appears quite early in Indian art. The Archaeological Museum in Mathura has several statues on display including
		   a 6-armed Kushana period Mahisasuramardhini that depicts her pressing down the buffalo with her lower hands.[4] A Nagar plaque from the first century
		   BC – first century AD depicts a four-armed Mahishamardhini accompanied by a lion. But it is in the Gupta period that we see the finest 
		   representations of Mahishasuramardhini (2-, 4-, 6-, and at Udayagiri, 12-armed). The spear and trident are her most common weapons. A Mamallapuram
		   relief shows the goddess with eight arms riding her lion subduing a buffalo-faced demon (as contrasted with a buffalo demon); a variation also seen
		   at Ellora. In later sculptures (post-seventh century), sculptures show the goddess having decapitated the buffalo demon.
           The 16 names of Durga or SRI DURGA SHODASHANAMAVALI according to Brahmavaivarta purana given by Lord Narayana Himself reciting which the four
		   purusharthas can be obtained along with the grace of the goddess. These holy names of the great goddess were revealed by Lord Vishnu Himself 
		   and are very powerful when recited on the tritriya day or on Fridays and mitigate all the sufferings of the devotees. Devi Durga’s sixteen names 
		   viz. Durga, Narayani, Ishaana, Vishnu Maya, Shiva, Sati, Nitya, Satya, Bhagavati, Saavarni, Sarva Mangala, Ambika, Vaishnavi, Gauri, Parvati and 
		   Sanatani. Bhagavan Vishnu annotated the above names:
           1) In the word Durga "Durg" means any ostacles/vighnas in spiritual or material life and the shabda ‘aa’ stands for ‘hanta’or demolisher; in other
		   words Durga demolishes Daityas, Maha Vighna, Bhava bandhana, Karma, Shoka, Duhkha, Naraka, Janma / birth, Yamadanda, Maha Bhaya and Atyanta Roga or
		   extreme illnesses.
           2)Narayani denotes kirti (fame), teja (radiance), rupa (excellent Form) and guna (characteristics)of The supreme Narayana.
           3)Ishaana is Ishaan + ‘aa’; Ishaan indicates ‘Siddhis’and ‘aa’ stands for ‘Provider’.
           4)Vishnu Maya refers to the Thick Cover of Maya or illusion created by Bhagavan Vishnu at the time of Creation of the Universe.
           5) Shiv+ aa refers to Durga who is bestower of Shiv / ‘Kalyana’or propitiousness.</p><br />
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